Five Rights: Choosing the Right Mobile Power Source

You’re making a significant EHR investment to deliver real-time documentation to the point-of-care. In this continuing series, we discuss the second of “Five Rights” you should consider to reach your EHR goals:

The Right Mobile Power

Your facility works non-stop and your mobile EHR workstations need to work 24/7 as well. Unfortunately, plugging, unplugging, recharging, and rebooting impede nursing productivity. Choosing the right mobile power, be it a traditional corded solution or an advanced swappable battery solution is a critical decision.

Rechargeable “workstations on wheels” were designed to allow nurses to roll in, chart in real-time, and move on. Yet, the sealed lead acid batteries that powered the original mobile workstations were notoriously unreliable. Fast charging lithium batteries eventually replaced lead acid, but all corded carts suffer from 20 to 25 percent downtime (up to six hours in a 24-hour period).

With increased EHR usage, mobile workstation use has increased from 25 percent of a 12-hour shift to 75 percent. As a result, there’s even less time for battery downtime.

“You want a power source that eliminates the distraction & anxiety of constantly managing mobile workstation power,” explains Doug Gallacher, Enovate’s VP of Sales. “Spending more time focused on the patient and less energy managing charge levels, leads to higher patient satisfaction scores which in turn results in higher reimbursement rates.”

When choosing the right mobile power source, consider the latest swappable battery technology. Enovate Medical has developed MobiusPower® 4.0, which allows nurses to work cordlessly all day long without battery anxiety or concern of a shutdown. The user interface alerts the nurse when 25 minutes of power remain. Most importantly, a six-second battery swap fully-recharges your mobile workstation without any downtime.

What are some of your struggles with power? Is it effecting your daily workflow?